April’s Neighborhood News

Welcome to your monthly look at what’s been happening and what’s upcoming in the neighborhood. It is our hope that this email will serve as a jumping off point for you to engage with us if you have questions or wish to help support the work we do on behalf of the neighborhood everyday.

Monthly Happy Hour

Stop by our office (Fondren Corner 1st floor across from Mosaic) on TuesdayApril 19 from 5pm – 6:30pm for a “happy hour” – OPEN TO ALL MERCHANTS, RESIDENTS and FONDREN ORGANIZATIONS. This is your opportunity to ask questions related to neighborhood projects, zoning, parking, events, safety or other concerns. There is no agenda and all are welcome.

ZDD

A tremendous thank you to all who participated in the recent Fondren’s Zippity Doo Dah® Weekend! What a beautiful weekend with great crowds and so much great feedback.

We have heard from you regarding one component of the weekend, Fondren Flea, and how much you loved this addition. Please know we will include this in our plans for next spring. Oh, and mark your calendars now: ZDD 2017 is March 24-25, the weekend following St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Developing

• Listening sessions will be held next month for the US Department of Transportation TIGER Grant recently awarded to the city for work on State Street (read more here). FRF will help facilitate these sessions.
• The Federal Transportation Enhancement Grant, long awaited for our historic business district, should see work underway in June. This project will also join in with a State Street entry grant project at UMMC. FRF has been instrumental in this process and coordinating with UMMC so that both areas tie in appropriately.
• We have been in meetings with Millsaps College’s ELSEworks to have them conduct a survey on our behalf. This survey will help determine the need for a Business Improvement District (BID) for our historic district, a model similar to the one used by Downtown Jackson Partners.
• Old Canton Road resurfacing from Meadowbrook to Lakeland Drive, most of it at least, is set for repaving in the 2017 schedule that utilizes monies from the city’s 1% tax fund. FRF will seek to engage the community for ways to help enhance that project, through beautification and traffic calming measures.
• A host of zoning issues are currently on the table for Fondren. We, on your behalf, are attending zoning and planning meetings to help steer the direction of the neighborhood in a positive direction. Are there zoning issues that may be of concern to you? Please contact us so that we may assist you.
• FRF is compiling a map and business directory that will be printed in the coming weeks. If you haven’t been contacted but want to be a part of this, please let our special projects director, Angie Noble know.